Sam Allardyce said he had spoken to his players about Liverpool's weaknesses at set-pieces as a corner brought him his first ever league win at Anfield.

Liverpool have been unable to solve their set-piece woes and former Red Christian Benteke's stooping second half header was the seventh corner they have conceded from this season.

It was Benteke's second goal of the game as Crystal Palace fought back from Philippe Coutinho's stunning first half opener to take all three points and deal a significant blow to Liverpool's top four hopes.

The set-piece problem is even more apparent at Anfield where eight of Liverpool's 18 league goals conceded have come via set pieces.

Allardyce said he had set out to expose the weaknesses in Jurgen Klopp's side.

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"Liverpool at home play a superbly attacking style of football which means that both full-backs will go high up the pitch, it's very similar to Arsenal. It means that Matip and Lovren are very exposed.

"If you get the right runners in behind then they're two big men who don't like turning and running towards their own goal, which is exactly where Yohan Cabaye came in today.

"The ball over Lovren's head to Yohan Cabaye completely left those two centre-halves for dead.

"Of course on the corners everybody knows Liverpool are pretty weak. They've conceded six at corners, which we'd told the lads about, it's seven now which got us the win."

Allardyce said he was pleased with his team's tactical game plan in targeting Liverpool on the counter-attack.

"I thought from start to finish today we were tactically exceptionally good.

"You realise in games of football when you come as the underdogs, you set out a game plan - and that's why it's so exciting - to turn the opposition over when it's not expected by most people.

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Liverpool 1-2 Crystal Palace

"It's why this Premier League is so popular throughout the world and we did that again today.

"We did that by applying the right tactics and not getting involved in anything which wouldn't allow us to counter-attack against the opposition or expose the opposition's weaknesses.

"With our limited possession, we exposed Liverpool's weaknesses time and time again today and ultimately that has brought it back from 1-0 down to win it.

"I give the players a huge amount of credit. First for the way they defended and secondly the way they exposed the weaknesses of Liverpool defensively which in the end they couldn't cope with and we won 2-1."

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Benteke did the damage with his two goals - he's now scored five at Anfield against Liverpool in just three games and seven overall - and his manager fancied the Belgian to score on his return to last year's home.

"If I could have had a bet I'd have bet on him scoring today but I couldn't have a bet," said Allardyce.

"He's in great goalscoring form at the moment and since he came back from Russia (with Belgium) where he scored two he's never stopped getting in the right place in the box and has popped in a brace today.

"If you look at what Liverpool created from open play that was very, very little and they had to rely on Coutinho with a wonder goal from a free-kick to get them in front. I couldn't really criticise my players for that goal, outstanding goal from the Liverpool player."

Allardyce pointed out his team are top of the Premier League form table and have now beaten Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool in the last few weeks.